Spinning or twisting frame.



PATENTED FEB. 18 1908.

L.T.HOUGHTON. SPINNING 0R TWISTING FRAME.

3 SHBETSSHEET 1.

APPLI-GATION FILED OUT. 29.1906.

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v No. 879,642.

' PATENTED PEB.18, 190s. L.T.HOUGHTON.

SPINNING 0R TWISTING ME.

mamouion FILED 0012's.

3 SHEETS-SHEET- 3.

LEWIS T. HOUGHTON,

OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPINNING OR TWISTIN G FRAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1908.

Application filed October 29. 1906. Serial No. 340.990-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS T. HoUcHToN, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Worcester, county of Worcester, and State ofMassachusetts. have invented an Improvement in Spinning Frames orTwisting- Frames, of which the following description, in connection withthe accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on thedrawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to spinning frames or twisting frames.

Spinning frames or twisting frames are commonly made with top-rollsaddles, one of which bears on the top rolls of each set of drawingrolls and each of which has suspended therefrom by means of a stirrup aweighted lever, the purpose of which weighted lever is to apply thenecessary pressure to the saddle and thus These topdrawing rolls, or toprolls as they are usually termed, are generally covered with leather orsome similar material, and in order to properly perform their functionthey should be perfectly cylindrical. Whenever the spinning or twistingframe is idle, the pressure on the top rolls due to the weights carriedby the weighted levers is very apt to cause the surface of the rollswhere they touch each other to become flattened somewhat, and if thispressure is applied to the surface of the rolls on one place for aconsiderable length of time, the flat places on the rolls are likely tobecome permanent. When this occurs the efficiency of the rolls ismaterially affected. In actual practice the working hours of the day inwhich the drawing rolls of the spinning or twisting frame are in useconstitute only about thirty-five per cent. of the entire time, and theremaining sixty-five per cent. of the time the rolls are idle and theweights of the weighted levers are bearing on the rolls in one place,thus tending to cause the flat places above mentioned. For these reasonsit is desirable to have the pressure removed entirely from the top rollswhenever the spinning or twisting frame is idle whether it be for alonger or shorter period, but in practice it has not been customary toremove the weight from the top rolls during the night because as suchspinning or twisting frames are now constructe l. the only way in whichthe weight could be relieved from the top rolls was by lifting eachindividual weight separately off from its to the top-drawing rolls.

weighted lever. This course involves a good deal of labor owing to thelarge number of weighted levers in spinning frames as usuallyconstructed and also is something of a diflicult operation because ofthe position of the weights and the amount they weigh.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide anovel construction bymeans of which the pressure or weight on all the toproll saddles may besimultaneously relieved by one operation and without the necessity ofhandling the weights individually.

My invention also contemplates a novel arrangement by which thecontroller for the driving mechanism is locked against movement when theweight is relieved from the top roll saddles, and the weight-relievingmechanism is locked when the driving mechanism is operated.

The particular features wherein my invention resides will be more fullyhereinafter described and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings wherein I have shown some embodiments of my inventionmerely for the urpose of illustrating the principle thereof, igure 1 isa top plan view of a portion of a'spinning frame or twisting frame toillustrate the application of my invention thereto, said view showingone form of my invention Fig. 2 is a vertical section showing thedrawing rolls, one weighted lever and in cross section theweight-sustaining member; Fig. 3 is a front view of one means forrelieving the weight from the top-roll saddles; Fig. 4 is a back sideview of Fig. 3,- Fig. 5 is a section on the line xac, Fig. 4; Fig. 6shows a different form of weight-relieving mechanism Fig. 7 is a sideview of a portion of Fig. 6 Fig. 8 is a detail of the interlockingmechanism.

I have not attempted to show in the drawings a complete spinning ortwisting machine, but only a sufficient portion of one to illustrate theprinciple of my invention.

The frame of a spinning and twisting machine of any suitable type isshown at 3, and this carries the driving mechanism herein shown as adriving shaft 4 by which the drum for driving the spindles (not shown)and the drawing rolls 6 are driven. The driving shaft may be operated inany usual way, and as illustrating one way, I have shown it as havingthereon the usual fast and loose belt driven pulleys 7 and 8. Thecontroller for setting the driving mechanism in operation and forthrowing it out 'of operation is herein shown as a belt shipper 9 forshifting the belt from one to the other pulley for starting and stoppingthe machine. This belt shipper is carried by a shipper-rod 10, as usual,which extends longitudinally of the frame and which has alaterally-projecting arm 11- fast thereto, the outer end of which armhas a 'pin-andslot connection with a crank-arm 12 extending from avertically-arranged shaft 13. This shaft 13 is usually provided with ahandle by means of which it may be turned manually, the turning of theshaft operating through the crank 12 and arm 11 to shift the shipperrod10, as will be obvious, and thus to start or stop the machine.

Resting on the top rolls 6 is the usual top saddle 14 from which issuspended a stirrup 15 that supports at its lower end a weighted lever16, one end of said lever being fulcrumed on the fulcrum 17, and theother end carrying a weight 18 by means of a suitable link or suspender19.

The parts thus far described are such as are usually found in spinningframes or twisting frames and form no part of my present invention.

The weights 18 for the various top roll saddles are independent fromeach other and where no device is employed to relieve all the top rollsaddles simultaneously from the pressure of the weights, each weight hasto be re moved separately and independently if for any reason it isdesirable to take the pressure off from the top rolls. and handling ofthe weights is a rather difficult operation and obviously requiresconsiderable time Various devices have heretofore been sug gested forsimultaneously relieving all the top roll saddles of the weights, and myinvention contemplates a novel means for accomplishing this object. Inaccordance with my invention as herein illustrated I place beneath theweighted ends of all of the levers on either side of the machine amovable weightsustaining member or bar which when moved into operativeposition engages the weighted ends of the levers and elevates them withtheir attached weights, thereby relieving the top-roll saddles ofpressure. In the form of the invention illustrated thisweight-sustaining member is a vertically-movable one, but it might bemounted to swing from its inoperative to its operative position withoutdeparting from my invention. In the drawings this weight-sustainingmember or bar is designated by 20, and it is situated beneath theweighted ends of the lever 16 on either side of the machine and closelyadjacent to but in front of the suspenders 19. It maybe guided in itsvertical movement by any suitable means, and as herein shown, I haveprovided at each end and may provide at intermediate points if desired,a guide-member 21 This individual lifting which is secured to the frame22 of the machine and which is provided with the slot 23 said slotacting to guide the member in its vertical movements. The guide-member21 is herein shown as having a back portion 25 from which extend the twoflanges having the slots 23 therein, and'it may also be provided withfeet 26 which rest on and are secured to the frame 22. The body 25 isshown as extending down through the slot 27 in the frame 22.

The necessary vertical movement of the weight-sustaining member 20 maybe secured in various ways without departing from the invention, it beinonly essential that it have sufficient vertical movement to take theweights 18 off from the top-roll saddles.

In Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5, I have shown a lifter 24 which is receivedbetween the flanges 21 of the guide, and which is provided with the hookportion 28 to hook under the lower edge of the bar 20. This lifter 24 isprovided with a stem or shank 29 which is bent over the top of thesupport 25 and which is secured to one member 30 of a toggle-lever, theother member 31 of which is pivoted to the lower end of the body 25, asbest seen in Fig. 3. The straightening of the tog le-lever, as shown indotted lines Fig. 4, o viously results in raising the lifter 24, andsuch action will lift the bar or weight-sustaining member 20 thereby toswing the levers 16 into the dotted line position Fig. 2.

I propose to employ a lifter for each of the guides 21 and to providemeans for elevating all the lifters simultaneously, and in the form ofthe invention shown in Figs. 2 to 5, this is accomplished by connectingall the toggle joints to an actuator 33 which extends longitudinally ofthe machine, whereby when the actuator is moved all the toggles arestraightened thereby elevating all the lifters. The connection betweenthe actuator and the toggle levers may be made in any suitable way; Oneconvenient way is to extend each of the members 31, as at 32, to passthrough an aperture 33 in the actuator, but my invention is not limitedto such construction.

These spinning frames are usually double, that is, they have a series ofdrawing rolls on each side thereof, and therefore in equipping such amachine with my invention, I would employ two weight-sustaining members20 and twoactuators 33, one at each side of the machine, as seen inFig. 1. I also propose taneous operation, and in the present embodimentof my invention, I do this by connecting each to a cross-head 34 whichis situated at one end of the frame and which is adapted to be movedlongitudinally of the frame by any suitable means. The device hereinshown for operating the cross head and actuators is a screw 35 whichplays in a nut to connect the two actuators 33 for simul-' in which thebar or member 20 is received,

(not shown) fixed to the cross-head, which screw may be operated by asuitable handwheel 36 or crank. lVith this construction, it will be seenthat by moving the cross-head in the right direction, all the lifterswill be raised, thereby to elevate the outer ends of all the lifters 16and thus at one operation to relieve the weight or pressure from all ofthe top-roll saddles.

In Figs. 6 and 7, I have illustrated a slightly different means forraising the weight-sustaining member 20, and in this form of theinvention, I employ a plurality of swinging arms 40, each pivoted at itslower end, as at 41, either to the frame or to a bracket 42 dependingfrom the frame, and each carrying at its upper end a roll 43 which issituated underneath the weight-sustaining member 20. The variousswinging arms 40 have a pin-and-slot connection with an actuator 33 sothat by moving the actuator longitudinally of the frame, the swingingarms 40 may be moved from their inclined position shown in full linesFig. 7 to their vertical position shown in dotted lines Fig. 7, andobviously during their movement from the inclined to the verticalposition, they will engage and elevate the weight-sustaining member 20,thereby forcing it against the lever 16 and elevating the outer endsthereof, as will be obvious. Other ways of simultaneously elevating theweighted ends of the levers 16 may be adopted, however, withoutdeparting from the invention.

In the present embodiment of my invention I have also provided forlocking the device or other means for operating the weightrelievingmechanism when the belt is running on the fast pulley 7 or in other wayswhen the driving mechanism is operated, and have also provided means forlocking the controller or shipper mechanism with the belt running on theloose pulley 8 whenever the weight-relieving mechanism is thrown intooperation for relieving all the weights.

The device for operating the weight-relieving mechanism is herein shownas the hand wheel 36 and for lockin said hand wheel I have provided alocking bolt 4S slidably mounted in a frame and having one end shaped tobe engaged by the arm 11 so that when the shipper-rod and the arm 11 aremoved toward the left Fig. 1 to shift the belt to the fast pulley 7,said arm 11 engages the locking bolt 48 and moves the outer end thereofinto locking engagement with the hand-wheel 36. This looks theweight-relieving mechanism so that the latter cannot be operated untilthe belt shipper has been moved toward the right Fig. 1 to carry thebelt to the loose pulley 8.

Any suitable means may be employed for retracting the locking bolt 48from the wheel 36 when the belt-shipper is moved to shift the belt tothe loose pulley. In the illus trated form of my invention I connectsaid bolt 48 to the arm 11 by means of a chain 71 or other flexibleconnection so that the bolt is retracted by the movement of theshipper-rod. The movement of the shipper- 'rod is greater than necessaryto shift the locking bolt 48, and if desired I may make the flexibleconnection 71 of such a length that it will not draw on the locking boltto release the latter until the belt is nearly shifted on to the loosepulley. Vith this construction the locking bolt will not be e11- tirelywithdrawn until the belt is fully shifted. On the other hand, when thebelt shipper is moved to the left Fig. 1 the first part of the movementthereof has no effect in movingthe locking bolt and the latter will notbe thrown into operative position until the belt has been fully shiftedon to the tight pulley.

In order to lock the belt shipper when the weights are relieved, I havein this embodiment of my invention pivoted to the frame of the machine alocking pawl 51, see Figs. 1 and 8, one end of which lies over one endof one of the weight-sustaining members 20, the other end of which isadapted to engage a locking notch 52 in the shipper-rod 10. The shiftingof the belt to the loose pulley by the belt shipper brings the lockingnotch 52 in line with one end of the locking pawl 51, and when theweight-sustaining members 20 are elevated, as above described, one ofthem acts against the locking latch 51 and turns it about its pivot 53to cause the end thereof to enter the locking notch 52 and thus lock theshipper-rod 10.

When the weight-sustaining member is lowered again the locking pawl 51will be retracted by its own weight or a suitable spring may be used forthis purpose.

It is not essential to my invention that both the actuators be operatedsimultane- 'ously although I prefer such construction.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In a spinning or twisting frame, thecombination with a plurality of top-roll saddles and weighted leverstherefor, of a weight sustaining bar situated beneath all of the leversclosely adjacent to the weighted ends thereof, and an actuator forelevatingboth ends of said bar in unison thereby to relieve the toprolls from pressure.

2. In a spinning or twisting frame, the combination with a plurality oftop-roll saddles, of levers connected thereto, weights suspended fromthe ends of the levers, a weightsustaining bar situated beneath all saidlevers adjacent to but in front of the weights, and an actuator forelevating both ends of said bar in unison.

3. In a spinning or twisting frame having in combination a plurality oftop-roll saddles,

weighted levers therefor, a weight-sustaining bar situated beneath theweighted levers, swinging arms for raising said bar and means to operatesaid arms in unison.

4. A spinning or twisting frame having in combination a plurality oftop-roll saddles,

weighted levers therefor, a weight-sustaining bar situated beneath theweighted levers, swinging arms for raising said bar, said arms beingpivoted to a fixed support, and means to operate said arms in unison.

5. In a spinning or twisting frame, a series of top-roll saddles on eachside thereof, weighted levers for said saddles, in combination with twoweight-sustaining bars one situated beneath the weighted levers for eachseries of saddles, and means to raise said bars simultaneously.

6. In a spinning or twisting frame, a plurality of top-roll saddles andweighted levers therefor in combination with a weightsustaining barsituated beneath the levers,

and means for elevating said bar comprising an actuator extendinglongitudinally of the frame and adapted for movement in the direction ofits length.

7. In a spinning or twisting frame, a plurality of top-roll saddles andweighted levers therefor, in combination with a weight-sustaining barsituated beneath the levers, and means to elevate said bar comprisingswinging arms and an actuator extending longitudinally of the frame andadapted for longitudinal movement.

8. In a spinning 'or twisting frame, a plurality of top-roll saddles andweightedlevers therefor, in combination with a weightsustaining barsituated beneath said levers, a plurality of swinging armsoperativelyconnected to said bar, and an actuator movable longitudinallyof the frame for swinging said arms thereby to elevate said bar.

9. In a spinning or twisting frame, a series of top-roll saddles 011each side thereof, and weightedlevers for said saddles, aweightsustaining bar on each side of the frame situated beneath thelevers on each side, swinging arms operatively connected to each bar, anactuator for each set of swinging arms, and means to operate saidactuators simultaneously.

10. In a spinning or twisting frame, a plurality of top-roll saddles oneach side thereof and weighted-levers for said saddles, in combinationwith a weight-sustaining bar situated beneath the levers on each side ofthe frame, a longitudinally-extending actuator for each bar, and meansto operate said actuators in unison. I 7

11. In a spinning frame, the combination with top rolls, of drivingmechanism therefor, a controller for the driving mechanism, a weightedtop roll saddle, a weightsustain ing member to relieve said saddle ofits weight, a device for operating said weightsustaining member, meansto engage and lock said device from movement when the driving mechanismis operative, and other means to engage the controller and lock it frommovement when the weight-relieving mechanism is operative.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEWIS T. I-IOUGHTON.

Witnesses:

LOUIS C. SMITH, BERTHA F. HEUsER.

